Roll paper towel dispensers are well known. They are most commonly found in and around lavatories, bathrooms, wash sinks and the like to enable users to dry their hands and other body parts after washing. Paper towel dispensers are typically mounted onto a wall to permit user access thereto, with the dispensers being manually actuated by the user to dispense a desired length of paper towel from a paper towel roll. One drawback of many conventional paper towel dispensers is that the towel can be manually pulled from the dispenser by a user without actuating the dispensing mechanism typically provided therefor, thereby leading to excessive use of paper towel and thus paper waste.
One prior art paper towel dispenser that incorporates a device to prevent a user from pulling towel from the dispenser is U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,125 to Tucker et al. This device utilizes what is referred to as an anti-milking hook 130 that engages with a dispensing roll 30 and prevents rotation thereof when a user attempts to pull paper towel from the dispenser. This device also utilizes a pivotally mounted lever connected to a drive mechanism that causes paper towel dispense during both a downstroke and a return stroke of the lever.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,084,598 to Antone describes a paper towel dispenser having an idler gear 33 with a finger 34 that permits discharge of paper towel only when a wheel 29 is rotated.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 2,622,873 to Wenneche discloses a paper towel dispenser that utilizes a yoke 46 that permits a predetermined amount of paper towel to be pulled from the dispenser and thereafter locks the dispenser to prevent further dispense until the yoke is again actuated.
Additional dispensers that are designed to control paper towel dispense and/or prevent pulling of paper towel from the dispensers are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,865,395; 3,266,338; 4,192,442; and 3,107,957.
While these towel dispenser designs are adequate for their intended purposes, a continuing need exists for an improved towel dispenser that prevents excessive use of towel, such as paper towel, and thereby avoid paper waste.